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Ifsuchaqualitywasapoorsubstituteforthepassionatejustnessthathadonceseemedtocharacterizeher,heacceptedthealternativeasapartofthatgeneralloweringofthekeythatseemsneedfultothemaintenanceofthematrimonialduet.Whatwomaneverretainedherabstractsenseofjusticewhereanotherwomanwasconcerned?PossiblythethoughtthathehadprofitedbyMrs.Aubyn’stendernesswasnotwhollydisagreeabletohiswife.
Whenthepressureofworkbegantolessen,andhefoundhimself,inthelengtheningafternoons,abletoreachhomesomewhatearlier,henoticedthatthelittledrawing-roomwasalwaysfullandthatheandhiswifeseldomhadaneveningalonetogether.Whenhewastired,asoftenhappened,shewentoutalone;theideaofgivingupanengagementtoremainwithhimseemednottooccurtoher.Shehadshown,asagirl,littlefondnessforsociety,norhadsheseemedtoregretitduringtheyeartheyhadspentinthecountry.Hereflected,however,thathewassharingthecommonlotofhusbands,whoproverbiallymistaketheearlyardorsofhousekeepingforasignofsettleddomesticity.Alexa,atanyrate,wasrefutinghistheoryasinconsideratelyasaseedlingdefeatsthegardener’sexpectations.Anundefinablechangehadcomeoverher.Inonesenseitwasahappyone,sinceshehadgrown,ifnothandsomer,atleastmorevividandexpressive;herbeautyhadbecomemorecommunicable:itwasasthoughshehadlearnedtheconsciousexerciseofintuitiveattributesandnowusedhereffectswiththediscriminationofanartistskilledinvalues.
